Improvement in printing floor-cloths



UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JOHNV MARCHBANK, orl tnnsinenune, nnw'roni.`

:MPHOVEMENT 1N PRINTING Ftyoou-oLoTl-is, as.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37.298, dated'January 6, 1,4863.

To all whom it may' concern:

Be it known that I, JOHNMAROHBANK, of Lansiugburg, in the county of Rensselaer and State ofNewyYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Printing Floortion, v c, Fig. 2, indicating theline of section.

Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a face view-oi' `one of the blocks used in printing thecloth. Fig. 4= is a side view of the same. Fig. 5 is alfaceview of a pad or cushion which may be .used `in the, printing process. Fig. 6 is a view of an indicator by `which thedilierent colors are properly distrib` nted for use. Fi 7 is a View of a design-to be printed on the cloth; Fig. 8views showing the different impressions given in orderto print the design. y

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe severalgures.

In printing oil or floor cloths ithas hitherto been the practice to employ aseparate block for each color, and those designs or patterns in which a greatnumber of colors are employed involve a great deal of labor and time in the printing of them, as separate blocks are not only employed, but separate pads or cushions also for each color, in order that each block may be properly charged with the vcolor designed for it. The printing, therefore, of elaborate designs by the old process is very slow and tedious. The proper registering of theblocks requires care and close attention,

' and the expeditious manipulation of them can only be acquired by time and practice. The cutting of the blocks is also an expensive feature, as eachblock is so cut as to-form in `relief the portion of the design which contains the color it is yto print.

- The withindescribedinventionis designed to reduce the number of blocks to fourfor the printing of any design of any required number of colors, and to dispense entirely with the cuttingof the blocks in reliefl to print the several. colors separately.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct 'm y invention, I will proceed to describeit.- A y In order to render my invention as clear as ,possible,l will first describe the way in which l prepare the four blocks for the printing of the different colors.

. Theblocks A (see Figs. 3 and 4) be of ery alternate line of pins from two adjoining sides ofthe blocks are removed. This will be fully understood by referring to Fg. 3. Bysupposing the dotted lines to be pins, a correct representation of an old block is obtained, and bysupposing said dotted lines to be removed a representation of one of my blocks is given.v The old blocks, as previously stated in the recital of invention, are cut away at their face sides, with the exception ofthe par ts designed to receive the color to belprinted by the y block, one color only being printed by each block. In my invention a plurality of colors, if necessarya're printed from .eachbloek, and to eiect this the several pins (designated by c) are chargedwith different colors, which are v arranged in accordance with the design Vor pattern to be printed. This charging of the pins of the blocks with their appropriate colors is an important feature vof the invention, and

is accomplished as follows: I consltruct a born.

B, (see Figs. l and 2,) containing a number of cells, b, the aggregate number of which is equal to the combined number of pins of the four blocks A ;l or the cells may be described as being equal to the number of. pins' of four blocks and disposed in such` a lWay as to correspond to them in position when the blocks are placed side by side. (See Fig. 2.) VThe box B is divided into fourpartsordivisions, (indi4 cated by Figs. 1, 2,3', and 4,) each of which.

contains a number of 'cells'. equalto the numbei' of pins cna block, and the several pins.v of a block are charged with 4tlfieircolor by dipping the pins in the cells of the portion of the box B designed for it. k'In order toset this. forth more clearly, `I will .describe the manner in which the cells b are supplied with their.. y

2 ames handsquane a', of the second rowof the design.v 1 In this position'the perforated paper D will expose all the squares marked l in the design, and. the squares thus exposed indicate the di'erent places of the colors in the part l of the box B, and these cells are lled or supplied accordingly. The' paper D is then shifted so that its upper left-hand hole will be over the square marked o. This position of the paper exposes all the squares of the design marked 2, and indicates the diierent places of the colors in the part.2 of the box B. The paper D is then. shifted so that its upper left-hand hole will be over the square y of the design, andthe squares 3 will then be exposed, and the cells in the part 3-of thebox B are filled with color accordingly. The paper D is then again shifted so that its upper loft-hand hole will be over the square marked z, and the squares 4 of the design will be exposed, and the cells in the part 4 of the box B filled Vwith color accordingly. From this description itwill ,be seen that by charging thepins of the 'several blocks with color in v their several compartments of the box B, and I'ressing the same-on 'the cloth, the several blocks being used consecutively and so adjusted on the clothA that the pins of one blockl wilt be pressedbetween-the impressions given or produced by the previous one, thel whole surface of the cloth will be covered, andthe design produced, as shownin Fig. 7. The whole process of print-in g is shown in Fig. 8, part' 1 showing the impression given by the iirst block, the red circles indicating where the impression of the second block is given; part 2 showing the impressions of the first and second blocks combined 5 part 3 the impressions of the firs-t, second, and third blocks combined, and part 4. the whole of the four rblocks combined, the latter being' the design shown in Fig. 7.

` vAnother important feature of the invention is the manner in which thc cells c are supplied with color. This is eected. by means of plates E E E E, having pins d inserted in them` in positions corresponding toA the several colors in the cells of the box B. The -plate E, for instance, has its pins d corresponding to the positions ofthe cells b, which 'contain the dark drab color. The plate E has its pins corresponding in position to the cells of the light'drab. TheI pins of plate E" correspond to the position of the ruby-cells, and the pins of the plate E correspond to the orange-cells. By dipping the pins of these several plates into pans or vessels G,

containing the several colors, and then plac-f ing the lpins in the cells, the latter will be supplied 'with color. This operation is gone through with from time to time, whenever.

the cells require replenishing.

`I would remark that the employment or use of lthe cellsb are not absolutely necessary. A pad or cushion, H, as shown in.Fig. 5, might be used instead, the color being deposited by the platesor feeder E E E Ef in separate or distinct spots on the pad or cushion, so that it 'can be taken up lby the pins 01l of the blocks A.-

The cells, however, lI deem preferable. The pins d may be secured in the plates E E E" E in any proper way; but they should be so attached as to be capable of being removed from the plates and adjusted therein in different ppsitions, according to the design or pattern to be printed. Thus it will be seen that a design or pattern of any number of colors may be printed with four blocks only, thereby saving agreat deal of labor in the printing process, and also avoiding the great expense attending the getting upof the old blocks. I do not confine myself strictly to four blocks, for although not more than that number are required, a less number may in certain cases be advantageously used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters different-colored paints, orwith a pad or cush.

ion supplied therewith, substantiallyas herein described. y

2. The feeders or devices for supplying the cells or the pad or cushion H'with the necessary colors, the same lbein g composedbf; plates- E E E" E', provided with pins d,`s ubstan. tially as set forth.

3. The perforated camor paper D, as a" means for disposing or distributing the pins d in the plates E E' E E', so as tol supply the cells bof thebox'B or 'the `pad orcnshionwith the several colors, that -they may be taken up by the blocks to print the'desired design or pattern.

JOHN MARGHBA'NK. Witnesses Gno. B. Firmar. SAM. K. .HAWKINsg' 

